Need some advice from folks that have used 3M Swirl Remover.

Background:
1) My car is black/black.
2) I primarily use Z-5. Am not happy at all with Z-2, don't think it works well on my car.

I washed car quite well (properly, not with detergent) before I applied the 3M. I applied 3M in a darkened area. It certainly wasn't cool, but there wasn't any direct/indirect sunlight. I applied it using proper applicator to the entire car at once.

Results: It left MORE swirl marks on my doors, etc. Part of the car looked really, really good. Most areas had swirls worse than before.

What has been your experience with this product? Any tricks/tips?

Thanks in advance.

 

I used a different swirl remover (by Turtle Wax, I think) years ago on my black Viper that I was doing some large paint touchup on. I used, as part of the overall process, a car buffer with a terry cloth pad, then buffed off with a fleece pad. This worked like a charm. No marks.

 

Did you do this by hand? Did you change the applicator occasionally after it gets loaded up with residue?

A random orbital applicator makes it easy to apply polish evenly and with much less effort. Swirl removal should be easy and completely successful.

I used the Waxmaster machine this weekend to apply Meguair's Gold Class Swirl Removal, terry applicator, cotton towel removal by hand. I followed that with 3M Imperial Hand Glaze applied with foam pads by hand, removed with cotton cloths. Then I used Zymol Japon applied by hand with foam pads and removed with microfiber towel.

I tried to remove the hand glaze with microfiber, but it seemed the microfiber could not wipe off the tenaciously clinging residue. The microfiber worked very well on the wax.

It's been quite awhile since I polished and waxed the car, so it was due. The car looks great now.

 

my daughter just bought a 1993 black car... it was (as expected) covered with swirls and small scratches.
we used 3m swirl remover with a porter cable (random orbital) and white pad for application. we removed by hand. after just one app, the car looked incredibly good- no real swirls or small scratches- however, we can now see all of the things that will have to be removed with clay! (probably should have done that first)-
for my black s2k, i used the porter cable to apply zaino (z1 and z2)- the car looked better than new-
i am a real believer in the porter cable (i do use slow speeds) for application and hand (micro fiber towels) for removal.

 

I did the whole thing by hand - it sounds as if that was mistake number one. I used a "traditional" wax application and a terry towel for removal. I think I should have done a small section of the car at a time, not the whole thing at once.

Maybe I should have used more than one applicator too but I don't think there was a residual problem.

Thanks for your feedback. What concerned me most was this "haze" that didn't seem to go away no matter how hard I tried to get it off. I will try again on smaller areas and see what the results are....

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hiroprotaganist
[B]I did the whole thing by hand - it sounds as if that was mistake number one.

 

Hiro, although doing this by hand is possible, it is a lot of work. A power buffer meant for a car puts just the correct amount of friction and heat to make the swirls go away. By hand, you may not be able to duplicate the "friction" required. And too much friction will cause "buffer burn" so that's why you only use a buffer meant for car paint polishing.

 

I have used the 3m perfect-it for dark cars and have had no problems removing light swirls. I also do it all by hand using either a cotton terry pad or foam pad. The trick is to keep rubbing the compound until the haze disappears. Should be a nice glossy finish when you do it this way. Remove any residual polish with a cotton t-shirt. Works perfect for me.

 

Hiro,
I will be back in town about june 12-13. You can use my Porter Cable to do it. You can check out my wifes Black Mustang if I haven't replaced it with a Porsche 968 by then. Warning it took me 5 hours to wash,claybar,3m, and wax. I don't know if you used a claybar or not first but I would definitely recommend it.

 

sumir brahmbhatt wrote on 06-03-02 03:42PM:
hey...
i just bought a porter and cable polisher and i was wonder if you have any tips on how to use it with 3m swirl remover and 3m IHG,
Thanks

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sure-
1. make sure that you have the right pad for the job... probably a white pad would be the best for swirl removing (you want "slight cutting action")

2. dont push down on the machine- use just the machine weight do the job

3. i wrap the cord behind my neck to keep it off of the car

4. i also use the lowest speed to apply swirl remover

5. best to start with an area that wont show as much while you are learning (maybe a lower rear panel).

6. apply the 3m to the pad around the edges, but about 3/4 of an inch from the edge- after a few tries you will be able to see how much product is the right amount... it should not go on too thick- thinner is better.

good question- i think that you should have posted this on the board to see what others think. feel free to copy my replies if you decide to post...